A long episode is introduced towards the close of the poem; in which a Druid shews Locrinus, in a vision, the future greatness of the united kingdoms. Here the author has done that which we expected to have found in Mr. Pye's Alfred; (see our Review for February last;) he has dwelt on the naval glory of this country, and has given a particular detail of the battle of the Nile. To conclude.-Of Dr. Ogilvie's poetical powers, the reader will form a judgment from the preceding specimens. If they do not rise to the elevation of the Epic, they are far from being contemptible, and ought not to be confounded with some flippant productions of the day. We have observed some faults. in the style, which might have been easily avoided. In p. 163, we have this hyperbole, from his glance the land recoiled:' In p. 351, we meet with a very vulgar turn of expression; While pondering thus, Androgeus took his eye;'— and in p. 411, pursuit is accented pursuit. The example of Milton will not shelter a modern writer from censure, for such deviations from ordinary pronunciation: our language is now more settled, and our versification in general more exact. If the large work before us had been judiciously pruned, and reduced to one half of its present size, it would probably have succeeded better with the public. Some well executed passages certainly occur, which would then have procured for it a perusal, and even reputation among a certain class of poetical readers. In its present state, we confess that we have. found it much too long; and we apprehend that few persons will be able to accomplish a progress through the whole. A ART. III. Remarks on the Cassandra of Lycophron, a Monody. By the Rev. H. Meen, B. D. 8vo. 2s. Rivingtons. CENTURY has now elapsed since Potter gave to the world his edition of Lycophron; in which he expressed his confidence. that, by the labors of himself and of preceding commentators, "adeo plana perspicua et delucida fore omnia, ut nunquam posthac Lycophron TE THOTE titulo se effere poterit." Notwithstanding the light which the exertions of these learned men may have thrown on the poem, Lycophron seems still to maintain that rank in poetical society, which the judgment of antient critics assigned to him. His difficulties may be solved, his intricacies unravelled, and his obscurities illustrated: but we fear that no labor can give an attractive polish to his poetry, nor any ingenuity bestow the charm charm of popularity on his numbers. His present commentator, Mr. Meen, is desirous of rescuing him from the censure of the Stagyrite and the ridicule of Lucian. It remains to be proved how far he will succeed in this object. In the present pamphlet, he appears as an able advocate, an ingenious commentator, and a respectable translator; and we are sorry that the limits of our work will not allow us to follow him through his annotations, because we think that his observations are judicious, and his conjectures plausible and happy. A few extracts, however, will suffice to convey to our readers a favorable idea of his talents as a commentator. • L. 144, 145, 146. • Γυιαὶ γὰρ ἐυναστῆρας ἄμναμοι τριπλαίς Νυμφεία πεντάγαμβρα δαίσασθαι γάμων. Cassandra here predicts, that Helen shall have five husbands. "Claude filiæ antiqui maris [Parcej neverunt triplicibus staminibus, maritos divisuros nuptiis nuptialia, quinquies-sponsalia.' • Πεντάγαμβρα cannot be right. Aischylus calls Helen τὰν δορίγαμε Cov. Ag. 695. But the poet probably wrote rayάμogia, compounded of πεντάκις and γάμβρια, δώρα ἡ δείπνα γαμβρου. "The Fates have decreed," says Cassandra," that husbands at the wedding shall distribute az, bridal presents. The additional word πενταγάμβρια ascertains how often these presents shall be distributed, viz. five times; i. e. she shall be five times married. The marriage is here expressed by the distribution of those presents, which usually accompanied its celebration. Meursius proposes to read read, the three Parcæ. But the expression is accurate as it stands. For the Parca were each of them concerned with these threads, or spindles, as Virgil speaks, around which the threads were rolled: "Talia sæcla, suis dixerunt, currite, fusis, Concordes stabili fatorum numine Parcæ.” The threads and spindles are both mentioned in a parallel passage μίτοισι χαλκέων στρόμβων. 585. Virgil was very conversant with the poets of this period. He read Lycophron's Cassandra with singular delight; imitating often, as his custom was, the most admired passages in that poem,' The information contained in the last passage of the above extract, we must confess, surprised us. We should have been glad to be furnished with Mr. Meen's source of intelligence on this subject. The impenetrable obscurity of the subsequent passage renders any elucidation acceptable which is at all plausible; and we do not think that Mr. Meen's explanation is a very force one, especially as his construction of reply and dedama's is mor agreeable to the etymology of those words than that which his been generally received: • L. 41. • L. 491. . Ὁ δ' αυτὸς ἀργῷ πᾶς φαληριῶν λύθρω Candido namque tota candicans tabo The subject of this prophecy is Agapenor. He was a native of Arcadia, and the son of him, says Cassandra, who perished by the boar's tusk. Ancæus is meant. "But," proceeds she, "the resounding spear, all white with foam, smiting the dancer's foot, avenged the slayer." Erógbuy signifies the point of a rock, and of a spear. It here means the hunter's spear. Ipsum verò venabulum resonans ultum est interfectorem. By reading T xTVOUTα interfecturum, instead of Tax Tavora interfectorem, and by rendering guy bestia, and decoTW's moribunda, the story becomes unintelligible. O x is Lycophron's own phrase. See lines 46 and 1172. Tov xTavóvra, the killer, refers to the boar, which had killed Ancæus. This boar, pierced by the spear, and writhing with pain, is called exo, saltatoris. Oppian speaks of a fish, which, at the sight of its foe, Iάλι óxпng πανείκιλος. Ηal. 1. 166. The two events are • Mention is expressly made of the spear, guy; but concerning the hand that held it Cassandra is silent. thus strikingly contrasted: Οιταίος στόνυξ ήνάριξεν φίτυν· ὁ δ ̓ ἀυτὸς στόρθυγξ ἠμύνατο τὸν κτανώντα. i. e. the boar of Eta killed Anczus; but the spear alone avenged itself on the boar. The words ὁ ἀυτός are not superfluous. They seem to be applied as in these lines of Theocritus: In the following note, the author comments in a bolder style but his amended reading appears to be a judicious one: • L. 1435. • Πολλοὶ δ ̓ ἀγῶνες καὶ φίνοι μεταίχματα Οἱ δ ̓ ἐν μεταφρένοισι βουστρόφοις χθονός, The words yaig and has occasion an obscurity, which probably riginated in some ignorant transcriber. The antithesis between ights by land and by sea is lost, if yag be retained: for yaiz and Xoves mean the same thing. If, instead of yaiz and manag, we red, with a small change of letters, Mais dab, the antithesis will be preserved. Aba, chou are the port's own words in another place. place. Potter reads Suvaton dexaïs yalal. But, by admitting this conceit, the line, • Δεινᾶισιν ἀρχαις ἀμφιδηριωμένων, is wrested from that sense, which is at once obvious and important. In the room of this strange expression, dyes úcou máλas, another, more pertinent, may be easily substituted; óvo húscuoi äyŵ»As. These slight alterations will assist the sense, and rescue the passage from that obscurity, which must not, in the present instance, be ascribed to Cassandra. Thus: • Πολλοὶ δ ̓ ἀγῶνες καὶ φόνοι μεταίχμιο Οἱ δ' ἐν μεταφρένοισι βουστρόφοις χθονός, Multæ verò et internecivæ cædes Dissolvent certamina virorum, partim in vorticibus maris, De gravibus imperiis contendentium, Partim in dorsis aratis terra, Donec Another extract, which contains a specimen of the author's translation of the Cassandra, must conclude our account of this work: • SECT. 23. The Greeks for the Crime of Ajax shipwrecked on the Coast of Eubeathrough the Perfidy of Nauplius. 'XXIII. For one man's guilt shall Greece with tears complain Through Through night's thick shade shall gleam th' illusive ray, • NOTE. Opheltes, Zarax-] High rocks on the coast of Eubœa; into whose cavities the sea had forced its way, and formed, as the poet speaks, an habitation for sea-gods.' We regret that accident has delayed our notice of this tract, for a considerable time. ART. IV. Belinda. By Maria Edgeworth. 12mo. 3 Vols. 16s. 6d. Boards. Johnson. 1801. THE HE name of Miss Edgeworth does not now require any introduction to our readers; and the account which we gave of her elaborate treatise on Education (Rev. vols. xxx. and xxxi. N. S.) will, in particular, have produced considerable respect for her talents. We are here called to notice a production apparently of a different nature, but which may in reality be considered as designed to answer purposes somewhat similar, since the author offers it as a Moral Tale. The spirit and vivacity conspicuous in the first part of it, and the high colouring and boldness of outline which it exhibits in the drawing of some of its characters at the commencement of their action, are in unison with the reputation which Miss E. has already acquired; since they mark this work as the production of no common pen, and evince powers capable of superior productions. We must acknowlege, however, that the imagination of the fair writer seems to have been fatigued and exhausted by the vigour of its first exertions; or, having too highly excited the feelings of the reader by the brilliancy of its first flashes, a tameness and insipidity of effect are hence conceived to prevail in its subsequent efforts. The character of the heroine herself creates so little interest, that she appears to have usurped the superior right of Lady Delacour to give the title to the work: for it is to the character and agency of the latter, in our opinion, that the tale owes its principal attractions. Yet even here the rule of Horace is violated, "Servetur ad imum Qualis ab incapto processerit, et sibi constet." Lady Delacour, while she continues to appear as the votary of vanity and fashion, and heroic under excruciating corporeal suffering, isa Being who interests and even commands some respect: but Lady Delacour reformed, (however favourable to the moral effect of the work this reformation may be,) and unexpectedly rescued |